Feng Yao immediately bowed deeply to the Emperor and greeted him with her eyes downcast.
"Greetings to Your Majesty. May you forever be prosperous and--"
He waved his hand, cutting her off. There was a look of boredom on his face as he played around with a tea cup in his large hand.
"Don't bother with formalities."
From the side of her vision, Feng Yao could see the Emperor lean back in his chair. His deceptive body language said that he was quite relaxed, but she knew that he was anything but.
Was it because he was the most powerful person in this country? Why did she suddenly feel an uneasy illness settling in her stomach?
"Where have you been? Zhen doesn't like waiting." His voice was calm.
His face is deceptively sweet, yet his actions are laced with a fatal unpredictability.
Feng Yao bowed even lower. "Replying to Your Majesty, I have been with Miss Hui Yi per your orders from yesterday."
He paused, clearly thinking about what had transpired at the banquet. "Zhen remembers. Has she kept you company well?"
"Yes. Thank you to Your Majesty for your thoughtfulness."
A moment of silence passed. She finally glanced up at him only see a faint smile on his lips as he gazed at his cup. On anyone else, she would have taken it at face value. Yet for him, it was completely different. That expression of his sent more than a thousand shivers down her spine.
Feng Yao knew when she was looking at another masterful deceiver. And this man was definitely one. A very dangerous one.
It would not be wise to stay here much longer.
She quickly lowered her head into another bow. "Your Majesty, I am but a simple peasant. I do not dare impose on your hospitality any longer. My family back in my village must be missing me dearly. Thank you for your kindness, but I really must be returning."
He was silent for a second before slowly nodding. In a soft voice, the emperor seemingly spoke to himself.
"Of course. What was Zhen thinking? The palace isn't suited for beggars." He let out a casual laugh, but it only made Feng Yao more cautious as he continued. "This place may not be suited for beggars. But it is suited for concubines."
He is suggesting...?
Feng Yao's face was immediately wiped clean of any emotion. It was as if a heavy steel wall had just shut between her and the outside world.
Out of the corner of her eyes, there was a sudden glint of light. But she didn't dare look to investigate in case he realized that she knew something was off.
During this entire time, the emperor had simply continued to play with the teacup as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He never once even glanced at her just like how he'd never waste his energy gazing downwards to look at ants.
As he continued study the cup in the light, he asked, "Do you know that this teacup is very special to Zhen?" A loving gaze appeared in his eyes as he continued slowly turning it in the light.
With a voice as carefree as a floating feather, he exclaimed, "It's truly remarkable. The only one of its kind made by a master who died hundreds of years ago. But do you know why Zhen loves it so?"
His lips tilted upwards as a cruel glint suddenly appeared behind his mask of a face.
"It's because I can do this."
With the same never-changing smile on his face, his fingers abruptly released the cup letting it shatter harshly against the cold floor. Pieces of the priceless glass flew everywhere, but neither the Emperor nor Feng Yao acknowledged what had just happened.
"Something so precious can be so easily destroyed by Zhen. With a single touch, Zhen can decide whether to save or destroy you."
Feng Yao coldly lowered her eyes. "My apologies, Your Majesty. This simple girl doesn't understand your complex words. Please forgive me."
The sudden scent of spice was the only warning she had before she was yanked forward harshly by her wrist. In the next second that she blinked, the Emperor's breathlessly handsome face appeared only centimeters away from her own. If he wanted to, he could easily lean forward to kiss her.
Large pieces of the broken glass cut into Feng Yao's feet, but she didn't dare speak out as the Emperor's sharp eyes stared straight into hers. Gone was his easy smile, and in its place was an icy sneer.
"Do not bother lying to Zhen. Who are you?"
The faint scent of blood coming from the open wounds on the bottom of her feet only helped emphasized the tension in the room. Sweat slowly trickled down her back as she came to a realization.
No wonder he is so calm. He has me surrounded. How many arrows does he already have pointed at me in here? Five? Ten? That glint of light earlier must have come off from one of them.
But she knew that there was no way the Emperor would have allowed for such a simple mistake by his guards. Perhaps he had even let her see that single arrow on purpose to test her.
What to do now?
Her mind was running at a thousand miles per hour. What did this man want to hear? What was his true personality? What was his weakness? Did she even have a chance of escaping?
Enough playing around, Feng Yao. With something like this, there's only one way to play the game. Either all in or all out to win and survive.
With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes. To simply survive for another day, she would have to tread carefully. This man didn't know what he wanted from her yet. That meant that she could still steer him in the direction that she wanted.
When she finally looked at him again, her inky eyes were unreadable. Even the Emperor could not tell what she was thinking.
"You wish to know who I am? It's simple. I am the key to finding who you desire." Her words never even mentioned the legendary strategist yet they both knew who she was talking about.
A small spark of interest was ignited in his eyes although his face remained impassive. She could tell it in the way that his pulse slightly sped up. He hadn't realized that by tightly grabbing her arm, the tips of her fingers were naturally forced to brush against his own wrist.
Even though he was a master of schemes, the person he was facing right now was also one.
"Perhaps you'd enjoy making a deal to relieve your boredom?" Feng Yao let out a breathy chuckle. The Emperor's face didn't change even when her sweet whisper tickled his cheek.
"Zhen has no time for playing, girl. What are you suggesting?"
At his words, she let out a sweet smile causing his eyes to narrow. "If you let me leave, I will find that person for you."
He paused before letting out a cold laugh. "How does Zhen know that you're telling the truth? Many others have tried to persuade Zhen like this with talks about that strategist from the legend. Now, their spirits are walking around headless for eternity."
A secretive look lit up Feng Yao's face. "Because I know something that they didn't."
"And what is that?"
Feng Yao was silent for a moment before leaning right beside his ear to whisper. He didn't move despite her long black hair falling over his golden robes.
Very faintly, Feng Yao could hear the slight ping of another arrow being notched and pointed at her from the shadows of the ceiling corner, but she ignored it. Her tone when she spoke held slight traces of mockery, but the Emperor didn't seem to notice it once what she said had registered in his mind.
"Your Majesty owes him thanks for graciously allowing you to become Emperor of the Wei Country."
Feng Yao's eyes glinted strangely as she watched his shoulders stiffen. She knew speaking to him like this was dangerous. Within the next second, he could either listen to her or execute her for treason.
His gaze flickered upwards and met hers. Feng Yao couldn't help but slightly feel a chill as she noticed that there was an unusual look in his eyes. Was that excitement she sensed coming from him?
She suddenly realized why she felt that this man was so dangerous. It was because he was just like a child playing king. He killed when he wanted to. He took what he desired.
And in this case, he only listened to her because he was excited. Which meant that her situation just became a whole new level of dangerous.
The moment he loses his child-like excitement, he will kill me. I'm exactly just like an ant to him.
She buried her growing fear and smiled at him. "What does Your Majesty think?"
He finally laughed with a boisterous energy. "Hahaha! You succeed in interesting me, girl. Fine, Zhen accepts your game. However, for every day you spend outside the palace, you'll spend a night with Zhen."
Feng Yao's smile stiffened, but he acted like he didn't notice.
Slowly, as he tapped his chin in thought, he abruptly changed the subject. "It's been a while since Zhen has conducted a full and thorough investigation of the people in the palace. If Zhen is displeased by you, perhaps that day will come sooner than later."
He grinned, yet his next words were merciless.
"Don't even think about pulling something. Zhen knows that there is someone you are protecting in my home. It would be terrible to suddenly find something suspicious about them. You know what happens to a traitor, correct?"
Feng Yao immediately knew which person he was referring to. There was nothing she could do about it now except bow her head in understanding.
"As Your Majesty wishes. Then, once I am finished with my task, I will leave this place for good."
"And what if Zhen doesn't decide to let you go? Like you said, this place isn't meant for beggars, but one more concubine will not matter."
Feng Yao froze.
He's still bringing this up?
Feng Yao let out a cheerful laugh. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw his eyes narrow. Before he could say anything, Feng Yao gave her best seductive smile. The Emperor's split second pause gave her the opening to slide her thin wrist from his tight grab.
Warmly smiling, she replied, "Your Majesty, if you wish for me to stay, it'll take more than this to woo me over."
It was as if her words suddenly woke him up from a trance. Suddenly his face lit up in a beautiful smile that mirrored the mirth in his expression.
"Hahaha, you truly are interesting. It's a regret that Zhen must leave now. There are important matters to attend to. However, do not forget your promise. One night in exchange for every day. I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to your good friend."
And with that cold warning that came from his grinning face, he left the room. His feet never once even came close to touching the bloody glass shards on the ground as he effortlessly maneuvered around them.
The moment he disappeared from her sight, Feng Yao's expression went blank. She knew that the Emperor had purposefully left the armed guards in her room.
Although they may not be aiming arrows at her anymore, they were still watching her every move--waiting for her to falter. There was no room in the palace to remove her mask for a second.
Looks like I'm in bigger trouble than I thought.